Arlington, VA – 02/05/2013 – The following statement is attributable to Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®, regarding today’s U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee hearing on immigration:

“CEA applauds Chairman Bob Goodlatte for holding the Judiciary Committee’s first hearing of the 113th Congress – and the first under his leadership – on the critically important topic of immigration reform. We also thank him for dedicating the opening panel of this hearing to addressing high-skilled immigration, a key priority for the nation and the tech community.

“CEA strongly believes that in order to restore America’s economy, we must modernize our nation’s legal immigration system. Our immigration policies have failed to adapt, placing our nation’s competitive advantage at risk. Our laws must be updated to allow a foreign national who receives an advanced degree in a STEM field from a university in the United States to stay in our country to innovate, rather than be forced to leave upon graduation. Congress should similarly pursue policies for foreign-born entrepreneurs who start businesses, provided they have sufficient investment and employ U.S. citizens.

“We look forward to working with Chairman Goodlatte and the committee on an immigration policy that will make America a magnet for the world’s brightest innovators and entrepreneurs.”

About CEA

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $209 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry. More than 2,000 companies enjoy the benefits of CEA membership, including legislative advocacy, market research, technical training and education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA also owns and produces the International CES – The Global Stage for Innovation. All profits from CES are reinvested into CEA’s industry services. Find CEA online at www.CE.org, www.DeclareInnovation.com and through social media: .